Canadian thrashes outmatched Olton

Posted: Sunday, November 29, 2009

Ricky Treonricky.treon@amarillo.com

After the Canadian Wildcats beat the Olton Mustangs in a Class 1A Division I quarterfinal game, the Canadian coaches took turns talking with the players about tradition while the team kneeled in the north end zone at Dick Bivins Stadium.

Noteworthy: Canadian advances to the semifinals in its quest for a third straight state title.

They spoke about how the team is playing in December again, and how the Wildcats need to finish their third straight season as the best in the state.

With their 55-7 win in front of about 2,500 fans Saturday, the Wildcats have won 12 consecutive playoff games dating to 2007, when they won the first of two straight state crowns.

Canadian (11-1) won the 2A Division II crown in '07 and took home the 1A Division I title last year.

The Wildcats will face Haskell in a semifinal game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. It has been more than 70 years since a Panhandle-area team has won three straight state titles.

The road through Olton (10-3) was smooth.

The Wildcats built a 41-0 lead at halftime.

"I was just tickled with the way our defense came out and took away their favorite stuff," Canadian coach Kyle Lynch said. "If you can do that and get them a little bit out of sync, I think that sure does make a difference."

Workman rushed for just 28 yards on 10 carries.

"They're not seven-foot tall, but they play like it," Olton coach Joel Baker said. "There's a reason they've won two (state titles), and they'll probably win another one."

At the end of the first half, Olton had produced just 139 yards of offense, compared to Canadian's 355.

Lynch said preparation was the key defensively.

"Our scout team did an incredible job simulating (Olton)," Lynch said. "Then we went out and executed our game plan."

Lynch said his team's defense fueled the offense, which looked unstoppable before halftime.

"We felt like if we could get some quality stops early and take away their best stuff, we could kind of jump on them and get the old snowball rolling for us a little bit," Lynch said. "Our offensive line has been so dominant - good in protection, but also good in the run game, and I think that's important. Their strength is one of our big keys."

The O-line gave Canadian quarterback Brandon Robinson, the Wildcats' leader in passing and rushing this season, plenty of time to throw the ball and large lanes to run through. Robinson finished with 51 yards rushing, including three touchdowns, and 222 yards passing (one TD).

Canadian's offensive line also opened up holes for sophomore running back Braden Hudson, who led the team with 82 rushing yards.

"The line did a great job up front. That's one of the things we take pride in is giving the quarterback time to throw," Robinson said. "We just had to execute.''